Looking for .223 Rem reloading advice

saunders278

saunders278

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Hi,

I bought a 223 semi-auto for target practice. I'm going to reload on my Dillon 550 and it seems like most people take it one stage at a time as they would for most rifle ammo.

My question is: Is it necessary to reload 223 Rem single stage if it's just for plinking at 25-50 yards? Or could I just pump them through like I do for 9mm?

I'll likely work up a better quality long-range load eventually, but for now I'm going to start with cheap 55gr FMJ loads.

Also, any advice or powder recommendations for a 55gr FMJ? Or a heavier long-range load?

My rifle is a Tavor X95 (1:7" twist, 18.5" barrel).

Thanks,

Keith
 
Small base dies. I use BL-C(2). The ball powder should be relatively consistent in a progressive.

Just a guess, as I use a single stage. But with the ball powder I get very little variation in my thrown charges. It wouldn’t be match grade, but I can’t see a reason it wouldn’t work for plinking ammo.
 
If you've already been loading 9mm with that machine without giving yourself any nasty surprises at the range then another calibre is much the same thing and should work equally well.

I do make a point of always looking down the charged case neck to be sure I see something that looks like one powder charge before placing a bullet. That should protect against either a squib or a double charge when there's room for that. It's a bit harder to see down a .223 case than a 9mm.

I'm mostly loading heavier bullets and using CFE223.
 
Loading rifle cartridges on a progressive is similar to loading pistol but you need more lube and/or different lube. I use Hornady One shot on 9mm brass but I think it sucks on rifle cases so use a lanolin/alcohol spray.

You can do it in one or two passes. For two passes you lube, deprime, resize then remove the lube by tumbling. Then prime, charge and seat.

One pass you remove the lube from the loaded cartridges. You can tumble them or wipe it off, depending on how many rounds you are doing.

For sure you want a powder that meters well, ball powder is ideal.
 
I just process and load my brass in two separate steps. Then I load batches of 3-5000 on a 650. Slightly off topic but I have never had any issues with One-Shot unless I just wasn't using it right.
 
saunders278 said:
Hi,

I bought a 223 semi-auto for target practice. I'm going to reload on my Dillon 550 and it seems like most people take it one stage at a time as they would for most rifle ammo.

My question is: Is it necessary to reload 223 Rem single stage if it's just for plinking at 25-50 yards? Or could I just pump them through like I do for 9mm?

I'll likely work up a better quality long-range load eventually, but for now I'm going to start with cheap 55gr FMJ loads.

Also, any advice or powder recommendations for a 55gr FMJ? Or a heavier long-range load?

My rifle is a Tavor X95 (1:7" twist, 18.5" barrel).

Thanks,

Keith
Click to expand...
I run mine on my Dillon 550, in lots of 100 (primer count) I use 8208 XBR. As that's what the old (illegally) prohibited AR liked, but I am switching to D8208 BR as I scored a pair of 5 lb'ers.
A friend has a Tavor it shoots well with the load I've developed for SPEER 55gr Spire Point bulk bullets.
 
Headspace is something you’ll have to watch on the Dillon 550 and rifle cartridges. You can size easily 223 way too much and have excessive headspace whereas that would be hard to do with a single stage press.
You’ll probably want a headspace gauge to set your dies up.

I’ll admit when it comes to semi auto reloading, I find myself just buying Black Sheep Brass and loading that. At 18 cents a piece for cleaned,sorted, sized and trimmed you’d have to value your time pretty low to keep up to Brian.
 
OP: One other thing you'll have to watch for the first time you reload factory cases - crimped primer pockets. Some brands / versions of 55 gr FMJ ammo have them, but it's something you'll only have to deal with once.
 
Some people clean, lube, size and deprime on a single stage press an carry on with the progressive/semi.

I use a Rock Chuker and load in batches. I also use a small base ide (RCBS).
 
I have a separate tool head for just resizing on my 550
Giraud Trimmer, super fast
62 Gr Hornady, H335 powder meters well on my 550
Magnum primer, lanolin/ alcohol lube
Btw Dillon SB resizing die, Forster Seating Die, light crimp for a semi load on bullets with cannelure
Also use Hornady 75 gr bullets with VVN140
 
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For whatever its worth you might want to try some thing a little heavier in your Tavor wit 1:7 twist. I find I get much better accuracy in my Tavor with 62+ grain bullets over the standard 55grain fmj fare.
 
apu said:
For whatever its worth you might want to try some thing a little heavier in your Tavor wit 1:7 twist. I find I get much better accuracy in my Tavor with 62+ grain bullets over the standard 55grain fmj fare.
Click to expand...

IDF uses M193 spec ammo alongside M855. Lots of guys including myself find the accuracy quite good despite it being counterintuitive.
 
I reload and buy brass from T&R Supplies. For brass like .223 Rem one buy tumbled unprocessed, I single stage each one Small base die, deprime then swage each one. For loading, I then run them through my Dillon 550.
But you can buy them all ready to go, they tumble deprime size and swage.
 
Okay thanks everyone. That's a lot of good info/advice, certainly enough to get me started. I'm still waiting on my Dillon conversion kit to arrive, but then I'll be ready to go. For my 55gr bullets I think I'll just run them through my Dillon as normal. Then use it as a single stage press later on with some better projectiles.
 
coleman1495 said:
Headspace is something you’ll have to watch on the Dillon 550 and rifle cartridges. You can size easily 223 way too much and have excessive headspace whereas that would be hard to do with a single stage press.
You’ll probably want a headspace gauge to set your dies up.

I’ll admit when it comes to semi auto reloading, I find myself just buying Black Sheep Brass and loading that. At 18 cents a piece for cleaned,sorted, sized and trimmed you’d have to value your time pretty low to keep up to Brian.
Click to expand...

Sounds good, I did order a case gauge. Can you use the gauge on loaded rounds? Or is it important to use it on just the resized case by itself?
 
OldDude said:
OP: One other thing you'll have to watch for the first time you reload factory cases - crimped primer pockets. Some brands / versions of 55 gr FMJ ammo have them, but it's something you'll only have to deal with once.
Click to expand...

I've heard of this. Is there a visual way to tell whether or not the primer pocket is crimped? And if so, what's to be done about it? I don't own a designated de-priming tool.
 
If you do an image search for "primer pocket crimp" you'll find plenty of examples. The most common you are likely to find with .223/5.56 brass is the crimp ring around the pocket where the primer was. There are other kinds of crimping but they are less common.

You can handle them pretty easily with a cheap hand tool tool that practically every reloading company sells, or you can get something like a primer pocket swager. There are other ways as well. I personally use a Hornady Case Prep Trio that allows me to chamfer, deburr and ream the primer pocket.

I'd post a nice picture the various sorts of crimped primer pockets but for some reason CGN refuses to allow me to do anything but a file size that would render it potato quality.
 
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